Ketamine for Relief of Chronic Pain
Symptoms of Chronic Pain
Symptoms of chronic pain can be classified as moderate to severe pain that doesn’t go away after injury or trauma and is persistent for longer than 6 months after onset. The pain can be qualified as burning, aching, sharp and shooting, dull, constant or intermittent. The pain is usually not relived by over the counter or opioid based medications.
Chronic can cause secondary depression as patients might be limited in the activities that they can perform including mobility and social interactions. The depression can than lead to loss of sleep and changes in appetite and suicidal ideation. Chronic pain can also lead to anxiety and stress that could lead to adrenal gland fatigue. These individuals may present with symptoms of fatigue, weight gain and general “brain fog”.
Traditional Treatments for Persistent Pain
Traditional treatment for chronic pain are opioids, nerve stimulators, NSAIDs, steroid injections and nerve blocks. None of these modalities help treat the cause of pain as they are mainly aimed at treating and masking the symptoms. Many of these other modalities have their own side effects which are unpleasant and can sometimes leave individuals unable to enjoy social interactions or physical activities.
Chronic pain can be a debilitating condition that can affect all aspect of an individuals’ life. The prevalence of chronic pain is 11%-40%. Ketamine treatment for chronic pain can be especially successful if pain is caused by CPRS and fibromyalgia.
How Ketamine Treats Chronic Pain
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Ketamine for pain can be extremely effective if the pain is caused by inflammation of nerve cells as seen in CRPS and fibromyalgia. Ketamine works by binding to the NMDA receptor. This receptor modulates a neurotransmitter called glutamate. Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter that promotes pain signaling from one neuron to the next and when too much glutamate is circulating in your nervous system it sensitizes the neurons. This all translates to more pain and inflammation.
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Research studies on the efficacy of ketamine in treating chronic pain are showing that about 80% of patient will have a 50% reduction in pain with ketamine treatment
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Ketamine for chronic pain is an innovative treatment option. It helps treat the cause of pain vs. the symptoms of pain and thus can achieve a better outcome without being dependent on pills every day.
Why Choose Ketamine Treatment for Chronic Pain Relief?
Potential benefits of ketamine therapy such as rapid onset of symptom relief and decreased risk of addiction. Ketamine has the ability to reset the brain and nervous system pain receptors and can lead to a decrease or elimination of opioid use